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Forbes
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
New York Sirens Select Casey O'Brien Third Overall In 2025 PWHL Draft
DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE - MARCH 24: Casey O'Brien #26 of the Wisconsin Badgers moves the puck down ice ... More against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the Division I Women's Ice Hockey Championship game held at Whittemore Center Arena on March 24, 2024 in Durham, New Hampshire. (Photo by Gil Talbot/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) With the third overall pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft, the New York Sirens selected standout collegiate center forward and 2025 Patty Kazmaier Award winner, Casey O'Brien. The pick was obtained through a trade that sent veteran defender Ella Shelton to the Toronto Sceptres in exchange for Toronto's first-round selection (third overall) and a fourth-round pick (27th overall). O'Brien was a driving force behind Wisconsin's 2025 national championship run, co-captaining the team while shattering school records with an astounding 88 points, 26 goals, and 62 assists, and dominating the nation with an average of 2.20 points per game. In addition to winning the prestigious Patty Kazmaier Award, she was named WCHA Player and Forward of the Year and earned a place on the AHCA First-Team All-American roster. Internationally, O'Brien demonstrated her skill early on, securing gold at the 2018 U18 World Championships and silver in 2019. Having spent 10 years growing up and playing sports in Manhattan, particularly at Chelsea Piers, O'Brien is now preparing to begin her professional career back in New York. We caught up with Casey to hear about her draft experience, her ambitions for the season, and launching her professional career with the New York Sirens. PWHL Draft Experience And New York Sirens DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE - MARCH 22: Casey O'Brien #26 of the Wisconsin Badgers looks to make a play ... More during the Division I Women's Ice Hockey Championship held at Whittemore Center Arena on March 22, 2024 in Durham, New Hampshire. (Photo by Gil Talbot/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) Q: Casey, congratulations on being selected third overall in the PWHL Draft. Walk us through that moment of being selected and what it means for you to have this opportunity to play professionally in the PWHL. Casey O'Brien: Thank you! At first, I didn't think New York would be an option. They weren't supposed to have another pick until the second round, so I kind of accepted that the dream of being drafted by the Sirens might not happen. I was just waiting to hear who would call my name. Then the trade happened, and I got hopeful. When they called my name, I couldn't believe it. My family was so happy. Being from New York, it's always been a dream of mine to play professionally here. It was truly the best day of my life. I grew up playing at Chelsea Piers and a bit in New Jersey. That's where I fell in love with hockey. To come full circle and return to New York as a professional player, to give back to the community that shaped me, it's a dream come true. Q: Looking ahead to the season, New York is in the middle of a rebuild. What aspects of your skill set, both mentally and physically, do you think you'll bring to the team? Casey O'Brien: I see myself as a 200-foot player. I take pride in being responsible in the D-zone while also contributing offensively. Me and the other forwards drafted this year are a young, dynamic group. We're fast, creative, and a lot of us have played together or against each other before. We share a similar vision and playmaking style, and I think when we combine with the talent already on the roster, we'll bring something really special. We're going to be an offensively gifted team, and we plan to score a lot of goals next season. Inspirations And PWHL Goals With The New York Sirens MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MARCH 23: Wisconsin Badgers forward Casey O'Brien (26) celebrates with the trophy ... More after winning the Women's Frozen Four Championship game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Wisconsin Badgers on March 23rd, 2025, at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Q: Are there any players you're especially excited to be on the ice with, either as teammates or opponents? Casey O'Brien: Definitely. Anytime I get to share the ice with legends like Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter, or Marie-Philip Poulin, it's surreal. I grew up watching them in the Olympics when I was eight, nine, ten years old, dreaming of one day being in their shoes. Now I get the chance to play alongside or against them, and it feels like a full circle moment. It's really special. Q: Who were your hockey idols growing up, on both the women's and men's sides? Casey O'Brien: Kendall Coyne Schofield was a huge inspiration for me. She's undersized but still one of the best in the world. I'm not the biggest player either, so I really tried to model my game after hers. She turned what some see as a disadvantage into a strength, and that was really inspiring. On the men's side, I looked up to Martin St. Louis, especially when he played for the Rangers. I loved how players like him and Kendall never let their size define them. That's also why I wear No. 26. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 18: A general view of the arena prior to the game between the New York ... More Sirens and the Toronto Sceptres at Prudential Center on December 18, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. The game is the first home game in the Sirens' second season in the PWHL. The Sirens defeated the Sceptres 4-2. (Photo by) Q: What are your personal goals heading into this first season with the Sirens and into the PWHL overall? Casey O'Brien: The Sirens roster has gone through a lot of change recently, and I'm one of several new faces. I think we're looking at this as a fresh start. I want to make an immediate impact on the ice, of course, but just as importantly, I want to make an impact off the ice. The PWHL has made huge strides, but there's still a lot of room to grow, especially in markets like New York. Being from here, I want to connect with the community, inspire young girls, and help grow the game.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
PWHL Draft 2025: Best picks, biggest surprises and why New York stole the show
OTTAWA – Pascal Daoust started Tuesday night's PWHL Draft under a microscope. The New York franchise Daoust has constructed since the league's inaugural draft in 2023 finished last in the league standings two years in a row. He left American star forward Alex Carpenter unprotected in expansion and left many fans confused by his choice to stockpile defenders at the expense of the team's forward talent. Advertisement Understandably, a lot of pre-draft chatter was about what exactly Daoust might be doing. But three picks into the first-round – and certainly by the end of the night, with two trades and nine selections, including two of the top three players available – Daoust was at the winner's table. He started by selecting Kristýna Kaltounková with the No. 1 pick, adding a physical forward with international experience and a heavy shot to bring more offense to the Sirens lineup. It was hardly a surprising pick given Kaltounková's experience with New York head coach Greg Fargo from Colgate University. But then came the first big move of the night: New York sent defender Ella Shelton to Toronto in exchange for the No. 3 pick and a fourth-round pick. With the No. 3 pick, Daoust selected Patty Kazmaier Award winner Casey O'Brien, adding a gifted playmaker and highly productive college forward to the early haul. He leveraged a position of strength to draft the two best forwards coming out of the NCAA. 'Coming here, I didn't have one specific plan. I was open-minded,' Daoust told The Athletic. 'But the closer we got to the draft, the more I knew where I could do some shopping, and I knew that I started my own boutique 'Rent-A-D (dot) com' so I was kind of popular on the phone. 'I was patient, and there was a way for me to flip some strength from the D to put it on the forward side and that was the intent tonight.' Later in the evening, Daoust traded forward Abby Roque, who was inconsistent in New York, to Montreal in exchange for defensive forward Kristin O'Neill and a fourth-round pick. When the deal was announced, there were audible gasps throughout the crowd. The Sirens looked good on paper the last two years but couldn't quite figure things out on the ice. And there are many months until the 2025-26 season to figure out if Daoust truly pulled off the turnaround it looks like New York should have. Regardless, the Sirens and their GM stole the show for most of the 2025 PWHL Draft. But that doesn't mean there weren't other surprises or picks to unpack around the league. Let's get into it. New York had a big day with several meaningful additions to the roster. Kaltounková and O'Brien highlight the list, but Anne Cherkowski and Makenna Webster — who is also an elite field hockey player — are also strong two-way forwards who could scale the top-nine and add the kind of consistent secondary scoring that had been missing over the last two seasons. Dayle Ross should be a good shutdown defender for a blue line with a lot of offensive talent. Taking Anna Bargman — a solid two-way potential bottom-six forward from Yale — in the sixth round was a savvy way to round out a new look forward corps. Advertisement Best pick: Casey O'Brien (Round 1, No. 3) Getting O'Brien at No. 3 feels like a steal. She was the most dominant forward in college hockey last season and put together a historic offensive season. She's an elite playmaker and has shown she has easy chemistry with elite scoring wingers (like Kirsten Simms at Wisconsin), which could make O'Brien a perfect fit at center beside Sarah Fillier. Biggest surprise: Drafting two goalies Projecting goaltenders – how many get drafted and where they might land – is always a tricky exercise. I figured at least three goalies would go, given most teams needed back-ups after the expansion draft movement. But I'll admit I didn't see New York drafting both Callie Shanahan and Kaley Doyle coming, With former No. 1 Corinne Schroeder now in Seattle and backup Abbey Levy signing in Boston, maybe it shouldn't have been a big surprise that New York wanted to solidify its goalie depth chart. If nothing else, the selections set up what could be an interesting crease behind Kayle Osborne next season. Boston put together a solid draft, filling some of the big holes left in the wake of expansion. On Tuesday night, Marmer said every person they drafted is 'somebody who fits into our lineup.' That starts more obviously with No. 2 pick Haley Winn, a dynamic offensive defender who led Clarkson in scoring this season, even from the blue line. Riley Brengman is more of a third-pair option, but should shore up Boston's depth on the blue line at five-on-five and the penalty kill. At forward, Ella Huber, Olivia Mobley and Abby Newhook could add some offense back into the lineup after losing Hilary Knight and Hannah Bilka. Mobley was among the top goalscorers available out of college and only O'Brien and Kaltounková had more points than Huber (48) among draft eligibles. Best pick: Ella Huber (Round 2, No. 10) The most impactful pick next year is surely going to be Winn, but we can't just pick all the first-rounders here. And Huber at 10th overall is a nice pickup by Marmer. Huber is a versatile forward who adds some necessary speed to Boston's lineup. She'll also be able to play multiple different roles for the Fleet, either as a third-line checking forward or the 1C beside a star winger, like she's done for years beside Abbey Murphy at Minnesota. Advertisement Biggest surprise: Abby Newhook (Round 5, No. 34) The Boston College forward was listed as one of the league's top prospects, but fell to Round 5, where Marmer said she was 'wildly surprised' to see her still available. Newhook is a high-skill player who coaches call a total work horse. Her production last season doesn't jump off the page, but she can elevate her game when playing with elite players and could find success in Boston as a result. 'I think people are going to be surprised by the success that she can have in this league,' Marmer said. Toronto certainly got bigger through the draft with four out of five players measuring at least 5-foot-9 and one (Emma Gentry) as tall as 5-foot-11. GM Gina Kingsbury said it wasn't a priority to simply add size, but it was the size mixed with the skill and upside of each player that drew them to Toronto. Gentry, for example, has pro size, is a physical competitor and has a nose for the net. Clara Van Wieren is another physically imposing center, but is also coming off a 40-point NCAA season. The Sceptres also made a trade splash sending Kristen Campbell and the 19th overall pick to Vancouver in exchange for the 16th and 23rd picks. The move looks like a win-win for a team that wanted more stability in the crease, and a player who probably needed a fresh start. Best pick: Sara Hjalmarsson (Round 5, No. 35) Hjalmarsson went undrafted last season, and might have flown under the radar compared to some college forwards after playing the last two seasons in the SDHL. She's a good offensive player and brings size (5-foot-9) to the lineup. Hjalmarsson is good at the net front and projects to be a solid bottom-six power forward for Toronto, which would fill the hole left by Julia Gosling in expansion. Biggest surprise: The Shelton trade Heading into the draft, Toronto's biggest need was arguably at forward after losing Sarah Nurse, Hannah Miller, Izzy Daniel and Gosling in expansion and free agency. But instead of drafting a top forward at No. 3, the Sceptres swerved and traded for a defender. According to Kingsbury, the Shelton deal and the one to move Campbell were connected. She also said moving Campbell and acquiring another second-round pick gave the team 'more courage' to give up their first-round pick and go after a defender. That Shelton was available at all is a bit of a surprise, too, but was likely the only defender who would elicit such a strong return for New York. Shelton was a finalist for Defender of the Year just last season and led all defenders in goals this season (8). Her addition solidifies the Toronto blue line and will allow No. 1 defender Renata Fast to not play quite as much as she has over the last two seasons. Montreal did a nice job adding a mix of skill and depth through the draft. Selecting Nicole Gosling was a great start at No. 4. She's a cerebral defender and broke Erin Ambrose's all-time scoring record at Clarkson with 148 career points. Natalie Mlýnková should add some goal scoring to the top-six while Skylar Irving and Maya Labad could be excellent bottom-six additions. On the blueline, Tamara Giaquinto, the Big East Defender of the Year, was a solid final round pick. Advertisement Best pick: Natálie Mlýnková (Round 2, No. 12) With four defenders going in the first round, some top forwards dropped out of the first round, including Mlýnková, a gifted goal scorer from the University of Minnesota. She's a smaller forward but is slippery with the puck, can escape small areas and is good at finding soft spots in the offensive zone to get her shot off. In Montreal, Mlýnková could be a scoring winger beside Marie-Philip Poulin, or add much-needed secondary scoring from Line 2. Biggest surprise: The Roque trade For all the talk about New York, Montreal acquiring Abby Roque might be the most interesting thing that happened on draft night. She's an American forward who opponents hate to play against, and she's had her fair share of physical run-ins with Poulin. LMAO who remembers this😅 welcome to mtl abby roque — 💭 (@habsxmtl) June 25, 2025 GM Danièle Sauvageau said when the offer first came to her, she thought, Why would we be doing this? But as she thought more she realized that Roque could be a strong 2C for Montreal, which made the deal work. And while it was surely hard to trade O'Neill, Roque could also be a more consistent offensive center than O'Neill had been, with a similar grit and sandpaper to her game. Ottawa's draft class was interesting. First, they added Rory Guilday, the 5-foot-11 shutdown defender from Cornell University, at No. 5 to beef up the blue line. Then GM Mike Hirshfeld took a swing at Russian forward Anna Shokhina with their second-round pick, and later added her compatriot 27-year-old forward Fanuza Kadirova. Sarah Wozniewicz, one of the best checking forwards in college, was a perfect Ottawa Charge selection, especially given her connection to coach Carla MacLeod, who coached Wozniewicz in high school. Peyton Hemp, a consistent top-six forward at Minnesota was also a nice pick up. Goalie Sanni Ahola also adds depth behind No. 1 goalie Gwyneth Philips. Best pick: Sanni Ahola (Round 5, No. 37) It was surprising to see Ahola drop to the fifth round behind two other goalies. She's been Finland's No. 1 goalie at women's worlds the last few years and was unbelievable in 2024, making the third-most saves (169) in the tournament to get Finland back on the podium. She was also named WCHA Goalie of the Year in 2023-24 after posting five shutouts and a .935 save percentage. Advertisement Ahola had a down year at St. Cloud this season, which is probably why she dropped, but Ottawa did well to pick her up. 'To see her still available at that point, we were a little bit surprised, to be honest with you,' said Hirshfeld. 'But absolutely thrilled to get her and think she'll be a really terrific backup for (Philips).' Biggest surprise: Anna Shokhina (Round 2, No. 13) A star in Russia, Shokhina was a wild card heading into Tuesday night's draft. She has led the top league in Russia in scoring six times and has been named MVP once. She's a highly skilled winger who looked to be a worthwhile late-round bet. But Hirshfeld — who called Shokhina the fourth most talented player in the draft — jumped at the chance to draft her in the second round. It's still a question about how her game might translate, given the varied quality of the ZhHL and PWHL, but Hirshfeld was steadfast that Shokhina is 'going to be a superstar in this league.' Minnesota's top priority on Tuesday was rebuilding the blue line after losing four lineup regulars — Sophie Jaques, Claire Thompson, Mellissa Chanell-Watkins and Maggie Flaherty — from the 2025 championship team. In the first-round, the Frost drafted for need, selecting an offensive-minded defender in Kendall Cooper. Then drafted a pair of right-shot defenders in Ava Rinker, a quick transitional player, and Brooke Becker, a more physical defender, in the later rounds. Best pick: Abby Hustler (Round 2, No. 14) General manager Melissa Caruso said she was 'shocked' Hustler was available to Minnesota at 14th overall. She has good size (5-foot-9) and is a great power forward, which could fill the void left by Brooke McQuigge being taken by Vancouver. Hustler has a pro shot and good feel for the puck around the net. Only Kaltounková and O'Brien had more goals last season than Hustler's 19 among college draft eligibles. She should be a seamless fit in Minnesota's middle-six. Biggest surprise: Anna Segedi (Round 3, No. 22) Segedi is a very smart center who is strong on faceoffs. She was captain at St. Lawrence as a fifth-year senior this season and has international experience playing for China at women's worlds and at the 2022 Olympics. Maybe the hope is that Segedi will replace Denisa Křížová as a bottom-six center, but the third-round felt like a bit of a reach for a depth center. After so much buzz around the expansion draft and free agency, Vancouver had a relatively quiet draft night — save for trading for Campbell and drafting one of the very best European forwards of all-time in Michelle Karvinen. Cara Gardner Morey rounded out those moves with depth on defense, drafting well-rounded defender Nina Jobst-Smith from Minnesota-Duluth, and at forward with Brianna Brooks, a 5-foot-9 right-shot forward from Penn State. Advertisement Best pick: Michelle Karvinen (Round 1, No. 7) The Karvinen pick was the kind of savvy win-now move we've already come to expect from Gardner Morey as general manager. The 35-year old forward is still skilled and was productive in the SDHL last season. She's a good skater, smart with the puck and has good hands in tight, particularly around the net. She might not play as long as some of the younger forwards taken in Round 2, but rather than estimating a players development path, Gardner Morey – and Vancouver head coach Brian Idalski who coached Karvinen at North Dakota – will know exactly what they're getting out of the veteran next season. Biggest Surprise: Chanreet Bassi (Round 6, No. 48) With the final pick in the draft, Vancouver selected a B.C. born forward and University of British Columbia standout Chanreet Bassi. She was the only USports player drafted this year and becomes just the sixth all-time to be taken in a PWHL Draft. Bassi is also the first South Asian player to be drafted in the PWHL. She finished top three in conference scoring each of her last four years playing in Canada West and can play a gritty physical style of hockey in Vancouver's bottom-six. It was a nice pick for a local player who will get a good shot at a depth role in training camp. With so much elite talent joining Seattle out of the expansion signing period and draft, such as Hilary Knight and Carpenter, GM Meghan Turner mostly focused on adding depth and complementary pieces to all three positions. Ohio State's Jenna Buglioni is a hard-working center who can play up and down the lineup. Hannah Murphy can be a solid No. 2 behind Corinne Schroeder. Lyndie Lobdell, a right-shot from Penn State can add depth to the blueline that already includes Cayla Barnes and Aneta Tejralová. While forward Jada Habisch and Olivia Wallin could be useful bottom-six players. 'We have a strong group of elite players,' said Turner. 'And I think this group is going to complement that group we already have very well.' Best Pick: Hannah Murphy (Round 2, No. 15) At this point in the draft, there were still some solid forwards available like Kiara Zanon and Makenna Webster. But with Buglioni taken in the first-round, I actually really like the Murphy selection in Round 2. She was The Athletic's top goalie available after posting an outstanding .939 save percentage in her final year at Colgate. Murphy is a good sized, athletic, and technically sound goalie. With Seattle being on the west coast and so much projected travel, it's going to be key to have two good goaltenders. Murphy should be able to take some of the workload off Schroeder, if not become a reliable 1B in a tandem. Biggest Surprise: Olivia Wallin (Round 6, No. 47) Wallin was perhaps the biggest faller of the night, being selected by Seattle with their sixth and final pick in the draft. She scored 40 points for the University of Minnesota-Duluth last season, which was tied for the team lead with Clara Van Wieren, who was taken in the third-round by Toronto. Turner didn't seem surprised that Wallin was still available at that point in the draft, which speaks to the question marks some evaluators raised about Wallin's ability to progress as a pro forward. Still, at her best, Wallin has a knack for scoring and Turner said she was happy with the selection. (Top photo of Kristýna Kaltounková : AP Photo / Petr David Josek)
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
New York Sirens trade Ella Shelton to Toronto Sceptres for No. 3 pick in PWHL Draft
OTTAWA – In a massive move in midst of the first round of the PWHL Draft, the New York Sirens traded defender Ella Shelton to the Toronto Sceptres for the third-overall pick and a fourth-rounder in the 2025 draft on Tuesday night. The trade comes just minutes after New York selected forward Kristýna Kaltounková with the No. 1 pick. Advertisement Shelton was New York's first-round pick in the inaugural draft in September 2023 and was named a finalist for 2024 Defender of the Year. The 27-year-old led all defenders in goals this season and is entering the final year of her three-year contract in 2025-26. She'll add immediate depth to the Sceptres blue line that lost rookie Megan Carter in the expansion draft. This story will be updated.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
New York Sirens select Kristýna Kaltounková with No. 1 pick in 2025 PWHL Draft
OTTAWA – The New York Sirens selected Czech forward Kristýna Kaltounková with the No. 1 pick in the PWHL Draft on Tuesday night. Kaltounková, 23, is a physically dominant forward with the hardest shot in the draft class. At Colgate this season, she finished top-10 in goals in the nation and set a program record in goals (111) and game-winning goals (19). She finished her career just six points shy of the Colgate record in points, which is held by Danielle Serdachny, who was drafted second overall last season. Advertisement Kaltounková is a pro-ready forward who already has experience at the senior international level; she was tied for the scoring lead for Czechia in her women's world championship debut in April. She has a solid frame (5-foot-9) and strong skating with a physical style of play that will benefit her in the PWHL. Kaltounková has a heavy and accurate shot that makes her a consistent threat in the offensive zone and off the rush. She wins puck battles along the wall, plays through contact, and does well to get to the netfront, where she has good hands and uses her size to take away goalies' sightlines. In New York, Kaltounková could center her own line, giving the Sirens a 1-2 punch up the middle behind Canadian star Sarah Fillier. Or have one of the two move to the wing to load up the top line. Last season, Fillier was excellent on the wing beside Alex Carpenter. But after Carpenter was left unprotected in expansion and signed in Seattle, there's a major hole at the top of New York's lineup. Kaltounková could fill that position either at center or on the wing with her shot and nose for the net. Defender Haley Winn and forward Casey O'Brien were other potential No. 1 picks, but with seven defenders currently on the roster it makes sense New York opted for a forward. O'Brien was the No. 1 prospect in The Athletic's pre-draft ranking, but Kaltounková has history playing for New York coach Greg Fargo at Colgate, which made her an easy selection. Kaltounková is New York's second-straight first-overall selection after drafting Fillier first in 2024. The Sirens have finished last in the PWHL standings in back-to-back seasons and won the Gold Plan — the league's innovative approach to determining its draft order — and the No. 1 pick in both years. The hope for the Sirens is that with Fillier and Kaltounková at the top of the lineup, the team can climb out of the basement of the standings for the first time in 2025-26. But, a Fillier contract extension looms large — she only signed a one-year contract and is a restricted free agent — and is the single-biggest item on Daoust's to-do list this offseason. This story will be updated.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 PWHL Draft Profile: Kiara Zanon
Kiara Zanon is a highly skilled forward coming out of Ohio State University this season who will hear her name in the opening half of the 2025 PWHL Draft. Zanon saw her numbers dip slightly this season with the Buckeyes recording 32 points in 40 games, but when you look behind the numbers, she remained dominant in advanced categories. Zanon is a possession player who gets to scoring areas using her skating and deceptive puck skills. Looking at advanced numbers, Zanon was among NCAA leaders in expected goals, as well as in terms of possession and scoring chance metrics such as Fenwick and Corsi. With the puck on her stick, Zanon controls play maintaining possession upon zone entries, and she had one of the better pre shot passing stat lines in NCAA hockey as well. As a slightly smaller player, Zanon uses her intelligence and in zone movement to find free space and evade coverage. Prior to joining Ohio State, where she helped the Buckeyes win a 2024 NCAA national title, Zanon was a captain at Penn State. In total she averaged well over a point per game across her five NCAA seasons scoring 191 points in 171 games. She was twice a Patty Kazmaier finalist, and as a rookie was named the NCAA's national Rookie of the Year and a Second Team All-American. Zanon also won a pair of medals representing USA at the U-18 World Championships. This season she also suited up for USA's national development team.
